Stephen snow



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN SNOWV, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE COPELAND RAPID LASTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

LASTlNG-TOO SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 68, 63, at S pte ber 29, 1896.

I Application filed September I7, 1892. Serial No. 446,142. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN SNoW,of Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasting-Tools; and I do hereby declare the following, with the annexed drawings, tobe a f ull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the preparation of the inner soles of boots and shoes where the upper is to be stitched thereto after it has been properly lasted the inner soles are provided with channels, with or without turned-up lips, as the case may require. The effect of these channels, which are cut into the inner soles,is to weaken them, and in the process of machine-lasting, more particularly, the action of the toe and heel lasting plates when said plates are turning down the edges of the upper upon the inner sole tends to wrinkle or cripple said inner sole. Should this happen, the end of the inner sole would be moved back from the end of the last, the result impaired, and the wrinkle inside of the finished boot or shoe inconvenience the wearer.

The object of this invention is to provide means by which the above-described undesirable results can be readily obviated. These means consist of a reinforcing piece or brace which may be quickly attached to or removed from the surface of the inner sole. This brace is made sufliciently strong to enable the inner sole to resist the pressure of the toe or heel lasting plates and is used as will be hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a reinforcing piece or brace applied to the toe end of an inner sole with one end bearing against the raised channel-lip. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of upper, last, inner sole, and brace as shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is the brace in perspective. Fig. 4 is a plan of a brace to be attached to the inner sole with tacks. Fig. 5 is a vertical section the same as Fig. 2, showing a'brace to be used with a plain thin inner sole.

The reinforcing piece or brace A is most efficient when applied to the toe portion of deep channeled or very thin narrowtoed inner soles, but it can be also adapted for use upon any desired part of any inner soles without material change of principle. description will, however, be confined to the said preferred toe portion.

The reinforcing piece or brace A is so shaped that it will fit. and act correctly upon the smallest toe of the desired style of inner sole it is to be used upon, the variations of size not affecting the width of the toe of the inner sole sufficient to impair the usefulness of the device.

The front end A of the brace A, when intended to be used against the turned-up channel-lip, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, is scarfed down quite thin so that pressure will hold it fixed against the channel-lip, and the rear end is provided with the spurs A which, after the front end of the brace is brought into contact with the channel-lip, are driven into the surface of the inner sole, which has been secured to the last in the usual manner.

By inspection of Fig. 2 it will be seen that force applied to turn the edge of the upper down upon the inner sole will be resisted by the action of the brace A, and the part of the inner sole between the ends of said brace will preserve their position as desired so long as the brace is in position.

The brace A is provided with the projecting end or handle A, by the use of which the spurs A can be drawn from the surface of the inner sole when the lastingprocess is completed.

For use upon thin inner soles having no channel-lip to receive the thrust of the lasting-plates the front ends of the reinforcing pieces or braces A are turned down and formed into spurs A as shown in Fig. 5, similar to those at the rear ends A and these spurs are used in a similar manner.

By inspection of Fig. 4 it will be seen that tacks or nails can be readily substituted upon the reinforcing piece or brace referred to in the foregoing specification and the same result obtained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improved tool for use in machinelasting which consists of a removable rein- The present lasting consisting of a removable reinforcing piece or brace having an inclined edge at its forward end, suitable spurs at its rear end to I 5 connect it to the surface of an inner sole in combination with a suitable handle to Withdraw said spnrs, substantially as shown and described.

STEPHEN SNOW.

\Vitnesses:

CLARENCE 0. SMITH, GRACE A. K. SMITH. 

